Since I have been seeing a ton of boats the last few days, I thought it only the best to showcase films with the word, “boat” in the title…
1. LIFEBOAT-1944
I have spoken bout this film before but I love this under-rated Hitchcock film that takes places, entirely, on a lifeboat. We first see the great Tallulah Bankhead in the lifeboat who helps a rugged John Hodiak on board followed by more and more passengers from a sunk ship that engaged and sank the German Sub at the same time. Now the cast of characters are all on a small boat in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean who have an additional survivor, a German from the sunken sub. You still have love, loss, suspense, betrayal and wondering whether everyone is whom they say they are. My favourite is Tallulah who keeps losing her precious items from her fur coat to her diamond bracelet. This is a film that is much better than many give for a Hitchcock film.
2. THE GLASS BOTTOM BOAT-1966
This stars Doris Day as a young widower who helps her dad’s business by appearing as a mermaid under his glass bottomed boat for the tourists. She is hooked by a fisherman, played by rugged Rod Taylor and is not happy that her bottom half is on his fishing line and not on her naked bottom. He has a new invention for the space industry called GISMO and has run into Day at the Aeronautic research business where she works. There is a huff and puff Day trying not to fall for the dreamy eyed Taylor who wants only Day. Through a series of innocent events, Day is suspected to be a spy leading to much hijinks. I love Dom DeLouise and Paul Lynde trying to watch Day believing she is a Russian spy. I also adore the cameo of Alice Pierce and George Tobias as the husband and wife made famous from Bewitched. It’s a fun movie and one to watch even though I wish Rock Hudson played the Taylor role.
3. DAS BOAT-1981
Talk about a tense film! This boat is, actually, a submarine, a German U-Boat during the battle for the Atlantic when many German subs sank many, many ships that were crossing the Atlantic either bringing supplies, troops or both over to England. We meet the boat’s crew who are proud sailors but not necessarily Nazis, except one who shaves and wears his uniform. The others tolerate, if not berate, the moron as they go unshaven in solidarity to their unit. You feel the close quarters of these men and hope they do not sink when they are repeatedly depth charged and fired upon. When they sink a ship, they are unable to bring aboard the survivors due to their sub’s damage. You notice how that ardent Nazi gives up his uniform and starts to grow a beard realizing the Nazi way of thinking is…shit. It’s a brilliant piece of film making that deserved the Oscar for best Foreign film. It is not uplifting but it is well acted, directed and written and makes you think well after the film is done.
So any movies you can think of with Boat in the title? What about famous boats?
With boat in the title? No, unless it's the name of the boat - Titanic.
ReplyDeleteYes, I almost went with names of Boats.
DeleteI enjoyed The Boat That Rocked about a pirate radio station. Harmless fun!
ReplyDeleteI so want to see this. I just came across it one day, but at the end and it is something I would enjoy.
DeleteThe glass bottom boat is out of Catalina, right? I seem to have heard of the movie, but I haven't seen it. Ah, it's been too long since I went to Catalina. (It's a lovely island, and not really that far from me.)
ReplyDeleteI hve never been there so I would not know but sounds like fun.
DeleteHi Birgit!
ReplyDeleteFun theme and great choices!!
Lifeboat is my third favorite Hitchcock just behind Saboteur and Rear Window. Hitch was able to capture Tallulah's special essence in a way no other director ever did. It is a true shame none of her stage performances were never filmed since that was her true métier. She is compelling and inimitable but the entire cast is exactly on point which is vital for this concept to success.
The Glass Bottom Boat is one of Doris better latter day movies, a low bar, but nowhere near her best. She is in great shape though.
Das Boot is a fascinating, sometimes difficult and sad, watch with brilliant direction and performances. Having seen it however I'll never watch it again.
Your first choice was popped instantly into my head as well when I saw the theme but there are several other decent choices out there.
I was tempted to use all three versions (1929, 1936 and 1951) of Show Boat but the only one I have any real affection for is the 1951 MGM Technicolor jewel with Kathryn Grayson & Howard Keel as the star-crossed lovers and an amazing Ava Gardner as the tragic Julie (the woman was robbed of an Oscar nomination I tell you!!). The film is bandbox pretty with a great pair in Agnes Moorehead & Joe E. Brown as Parthy & Cap't Andy plus William Warfield's glorious version of Ol' Man River.
My second choice is the adorable Cary Grant/Sophia Loren matchup "Houseboat." It's a charmer with both stars radiating charisma.
For my third I'm going to cheat ever so slightly in the cause of highlighting the vagaries of film preservation. "Torpedo Boat" (1942) starring Richard Arlen and Jean Parker: It was produced by the defunct Pine-Thomas Productions for distribution through Paramount Pictures after its theatrical run it was then handed over to the now long bankrupt I.T.C. for early television showings during which time it fell out of copyright and into public domain years ago and most copies appear to be lost. Supposedly Pine-Thomas sent a copy to the House Naval Affairs Committee during WWII so perhaps it resides somewhere in a government vault. It's a Grail title for me but I realize my chances of seeing the picture are extremely slim.
Hi Joel…I hope the summer is treating you well. I love Lifeboat and your top 3 especially Rear Window. I would go with Strngers on a Train, Shadow of a Doubt and Rear Window. I do love Saboteur. I almost went with Show Boat and, yes, Ava Gardner deserved the Oscar. When you last see her, in that entertainment Hall, the pain on her face reveals so much. I just watched Houseboat and it is enchanting and Sophia looked beyond good especially in tht golden dress. The song she sings ended up in my head for a week after…lol. I never heard of that last movie, but I bet it is in some tv stations basement somewhere.
DeleteWhen King Kong was on Sunday Movies for an afternoon, my dad asked us to sit and watch this with him. He was 20 when it came out so I am certain it made a huge impression on him. Why am I mentioning this? I always remembered the scene when most of the men ended up down in the crevice having dropped off the log by Kong. I remember the spiders coming out and other critters and it terrified me.much later, I kept hearing bout lost footage from Kong and they were talking about this scene! I know I saw it because it scared me so much. They found the footage in some basement of a studio.
Glad you enjoyed my topic and my choices. I wish there was more of Tallulah.
I loved the glass bottomed boat. So much fun. Though, the only time I was on one, it made me sicker than a dog.
ReplyDeleteOh no! You have seasickness. That is a horrible feeling..it is not fun at all but, thankfully, I am not one of them. My ex and my friends, brothers, went on a small cruise for whale watching. A hurricane had just passed moving all their food further out to sea so no whales but we saw dolphins and it was wavy! Both brothers plus half the ship were seasick.
DeleteI haven't watched any of these but would prefer the Glass Bottom Boat if I have to choose.
ReplyDeleteMaybe, one day, you will see this:))
Delete"Das Boot," even with its subtitles (pardon the pun) is a far more enjoyable "watch" than "The Boat."
ReplyDeleteFun Fact from the "Nerd Gallery": all submarines, even the monster city-killers, are called "boats" (not "ships"). The reason is that, way back when they first appeared, they were small enough to be considered boats that could be hauled aboard ships.
ReplyDeleteFun Fact #2: Sailors derisively call their ships "boats." And aviation Sailors on aircraft carriers call "non" aviation crewmen "boat people."